and black cab drivers are generally excellent in the area it covers. However:
[QUOTEthe article ]
The six-mile radius from Charing Cross, the putative center-point of London marked by an equestrian statue of King Charles I, takes in some 25,000 streets.
[/QUOTE]
If you happen to live outside the magic six-mile radius, then you have the three problems that:
[ol]
[li]Your cabbie may not know how to get to your destination[/li][li]They may not wish to go there in case they can’t find a fare wanting to go in the ‘right’ direction (no-one likes deadheading)[/li][li]Because of the premium you pay for The Knowledge plus insurance/licencing of black cabs, you may not be able to afford the fare[/li][/ol]
In my opinon it’s not sustainable for long in it’s present form - it can’t be too long before a reasonably priced nav system is regularly able to match or beat the average cabbie and then it all just becomes a licencing/insurance boondoggle like the (infamous) NY medallions